Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network – Kasargod (EP)
Kasargod, Dec 20: The journalists from Kerala who were arrested in Mangaluru on the morning of Friday December 20 were released after strong protests against the police. The journalists had gone to Wenlock hospital where bodies of the two protestors who died in police firing on Thursday December 19 were kept. They were released after seven hours following protests here and in other parts of Kerala.
The mediapersons included Shabir Ummer, videographer Anish Kanhangad, Asianet reporter Mujib Rehman, cameraman, reporter Anand, cameraman Ranju and a News15 Kerala cameraman.
The journalists were taken into custody by force when they were reporting from Wenlock hospital premises at 8.30 am. Police had confiscated their camera, mobile and other instruments even though the reporters showed their media identity cards and government id cards, it is said.
Journalists and several organizations throughout Kerala condemned the police action and protested on the streets.
Protests were held under the leadership of Kerala state working journalists' association in Kasargod. Kasargod DYFI activists blocked the national highway at Kasargod under the leadership of Kasargod block committee. Subhash Padi, P Shiva Prasad, Sunil Kadappuram, Praveen Padi, Bharath Raj, C M Bashir and others led the protests.
Mangaluru police handed over the journalists to Manjeshwar police in Talapady at around 4 pm after pressure mounted from Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, state director general of police Loknath Behra and several political leaders. Some more protests are being heard against keeping journalists in custody and harassing them without reason.
Press club president Mohammed Hashim presided over protests held in Kasargod by journalists' association. Secretary K V Padmesh, Sunny Joseph, T A Shafi, Binoy Mathew, Shafi Teruveth, Mujeeb Ahmed, Pradeep Narayanan and others led the protests.